Pleurota balearica Tabell & Honey, 2025

Tabell, Jukka, Honey, Martin, Leger, Théo, Mutanen, Marko, Nupponen, Timo & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2025, New and poorly known Pleurota Hübner, [1825] species from peninsular Spain, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae, Pleurotinae), SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 53 (209), pp. 43-74 : 54

Pleurota balearica Tabell & Honey , sp. nov. ( Figures 20-21 , 37, 48, 51) Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ADY6686

Type material: Holotype ♂ (GP 5989 J. Tabell, DNA sample 26270 Lepid Phyl [barcoding failed]): SPAIN, Mallorca, Boquer valley - by day, 13-V-2007, M. R. Honey leg. (coll. NHMUK). Paratypes: 2 ♂ (DNA sample 26268 Lepid Phyl [barcoding failed]), same collecting data as holotype ; 1 ex. [abdomen missing], Mallorca, Cuber reservoir by day, 3-VI-2000, M. R. Honey leg .; 2 ♂, Mallorca, Bocquer valley , 25-V-2001, M. R. Honey leg .; 1 ♂, Mallorca, Puig de Sant Marti - by day, 19-V-2007, M. R. Honey leg .; 1 ♂ ibidem, Cova Sant Marti ; 3 ♂ ( DNA sample 26269 Lepid Phyl [barcoding failed], Mallorca, Son Carbata Sa Calobra road - by day, 21-V-2007, M. R. Honey leg .; 3 ♀ (DNA sample 26266 Lepid Phyl [barcoding failed]; DNA sample 26267 Lepid Phyl), Cabrera , beach - by day, 18-IV-2012, M. R. Honey leg .; 1 ♂, Eivissa, Cap d’Es Falcó, Pinar no fum , 30-IV-2006, I. Ferris & M. R. Honey leg .; 2 ♀ (GP 6471 J. Tabell), Eivissa, Can Savi, Sant Llorenç de Balàfia , 5-V-2006 swept at dusk, I. Ferris & M. R. Honey leg. (all colls. NHMUK and TAB) .

Diagnosis: A small species. Externally P. balearica is somewhat similar to P. pleurotella , but smaller size and beige colour (grey in P. pleurotella ) are separating characters. In the male genitalia, the combination of the gnathos, the valval lobe and the posterior lobe of juxta distinguish P. balearica from other species. In the female genitalia, the shape of posterior signa is characteristic.

Molecular diagnosis: Of five samples sent for barcoding, four failed and one resulted in a 651 bp DNA barcode. The nearest neighbour to P. balearica is morphologically divergent P. candia Back, 1973 , with a 7.13 % divergence.

Description: Adult. Wingspan 8-10.5 mm. Labial palpus 3-3.5x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere short, mostly concealed by scales, off-white, mixed with pale beige. Antenna setose in male, naked in female, brown, annulated with beige. Head and tegula pale beige, thorax mixed with beige. Forewing pale beige: subcostal line pale brown, from base to apex, gradually expanding towards apex, costal line absent; medial area white, with distinct blackish brown discal, discocellular and plical spots. Fringe line indistinct, formed of a few blackish brown scales; cilia long, pale grey, basally pale beige. Hindwing pale brown, cilia pale greyish brown. Abdomen slightly lustrous, pale brown or beige, each segment with a transverse row of ochre scales.

Male genitalia: Uncus triangular from ventral view, lined with few long bristles, apex blunt. Gnathos 1.5x as long as uncus, funnel-shaped from ventral view, medially covered with small nodules. Valva upwards oblique, ventral margin convex; cucullus narrow, thimble-shaped. Median part of juxta narrow, funnel-shaped, posterior lobe very long, narrow, exceeding markedly apex of uncus. Valval lobe long, finger-shaped, parallel-sided, covered apically with few long bristles. Phallus curved, tapered towards apex, with elongated bundle of small needle-shaped cornutus and slightly curved plate-shaped cornutus.

Female genitalia: Papilla analis ovoid, short, covered with bristles. Posterior apophysis 9.4x as long as papilla analis and 1.5x as long as anterior apophysis, which is 1.6x as long as segment 8. Segment 8 longitudinally elongated, membranous, quadrate, dorsolaterally reinforced by sclerotized band; branch of anterior apophysis U-shaped, weekly sclerotized; ventral longitudinal sclerotization narrow, slightly shorter than segment 8. Antrum tubular, anterior 2 / 3 sclerotized. Ductus bursae slightly expanded towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae rounded; anterior signum strongly arched, narrow, protuberances long, thornlike; two leaf-shaped posterior signa, spike curved, long, base small.

Biology: Unknown.

Distribution: Known from three Balearic Islands (Spain): Mallorca, Ibiza and Cabrera.

Derivation of name: The specific epithet refers to the collecting area of the specimens.

Figures

Figures 17-21. Adults of Pleurota spp. 17. P. rondaensis sp. nov., 1 holotype. 18-19. P. pyrenaella sp. nov. 18. 1 holotype. 19. 0 paratype. 20-21. P. balearica sp. nov. 20. 1 holotype. 21. 0 paratype.